Talk about a long wait to celebrate: The Regis Jesuit Raiders last won a state championship in 1988, then endured three hours, 12 minutes of a back-and-forth slugfest to defeat Cherry Creek 15-10 Saturday for the 5A title.

Evan Escobedo and his teammates celebrate his second home run, helping make their coach a champion in his final game. 10C

DENVER, CO-- 5A 2011 Colorado State baseball championship game at All City Stadium Saturday afternoon. Andy Cross, The Denver Post

DENVER, CO-- 5A 2011 Colorado State baseball championship game at All City Stadium Saturday afternoon. Andy Cross, The Denver Post

DENVER, CO-- Tanner Ernst, #8, center, Regis, stomps on the plate in celebration along with his teammates after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning with the game tied at 8-8 during the 5A 2011 Colorado State baseball championship game at All City Stadium Saturday afternoon. Regis went on to win 15-20. Andy Cross, The Denver Post

It appeared it was all Steve Cavnar could do to remain on his feet. His face indicated half-1,000-yard stare, half-knowing, satisfied smile.

His Regis Jesuit Raiders had just capped a phenomenal campaign on Saturday night with a 15-10 victory over personal nemesis Cherry Creek at All-City Field, a three-hour, 12-minute slugfest that included 35 hits, seven wild pitches, five home runs and one very long season for the Class 5A championship series crown.

But he was about to tell his players, who finished 2011 at 20-7, that he was retiring as coach after a career that began at Smoky Hill in 1979.

“It was unbelievable,” Cavnar said. “Every year’s different, but this is a special group that came together, a lot of different things going on, tumultuous personally, but what a team we had.”

Regis Jesuit won its third title of the spring in a glorious school sports year and topped it in style — the Raiders broke an 8-8 tie with a seven-run sixth inning, symbolic of their resilient, take-on-all-comers season.

They had many heroes. Cleanup hitter Evan Escobedo hit two three-run home runs and turned in two highlight catches in left field worthy of television replay, both off the bat of the Bruins’ Derik Beauprez, that took away extra bases.

“I had been working on my defense,” Escobedo said. “And I’ll always remember I hit a home run in my last (high school) at-bat.”

Sam Cameron and Tanner Ernst added homers, with Ernst’s breaking it open in the decisive sixth. Drew Merten and Brody Weiss each had four hits. Mitch Robinson banged out three. Kansas-bound Connor McKay, who arguably would have been no worse than Colorado’s second-best player, returned to play after a knee injury suffered in the title game of the football season. And No. 9 hitter Johnny Griffith capped a big series with two doubles, was a glove with glue at third base and recorded the final out on the mound.

The Raiders were 4-5 on April 8, then took off. From the first nine to the bench, starters to bullpen, Cavnar reveled in his players finding ways to win.

“We had a real team,” Griffith said. “A family.”

There was no argument from Cherry Creek, which ended 18-8 and stranded eight runners. Coach Marc Johnson’s team started only four seniors, and overachieving was nearly good enough.

As Cavnar headed to share his retirement with his Raiders, he said, “We were just blessed. And what a great way to go out.”

MVP

Pick a Raider, any Raider . . . it was that kind of thorough season for Regis Jesuit. But Johnny Griffith was more than a No. 9 hitter. He was tough and terrific at third base with his glove and arm, rapped 10 postseason hits, including five doubles and two home runs, and was a valued reliever. He seemed symbolic of the team’s ability to keep fighting.

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